Quick Notes: Carlyle’s David Rubenstein is in Talks to Acquire Baltimore Orioles per Bloomberg News
According to Bloomberg News, David Rubenstein, co-founder of Carlyle Group Inc., is currently engaged in discussions to acquire the Baltimore Orioles franchise of Major League Baseball.
As reported in the article, "Rubenstein is among the suitors pursuing a transaction," stated one of the anonymous sources familiar with the matter. However, it's emphasized that nothing has been finalized, and the talks might still collapse, according to these sources.
David Rubenstein was also rumored to have expressed interest in acquiring the Washington Nationals, a report that Bloomberg News covered in 2022.
So, why is this relevant to Nationals fans?
Simply put, MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network), presently owned and operated by the current owners of the Baltimore Orioles, owes the Washington Nationals a substantial amount for TV rights. The specifics of the owed amount and the payment have been entangled in litigation for an extended period. While MASN settled a dispute in June over the valuation of the Nationals’ local television rights from 2012 to 2016, no payment has been made six months post the settlement.
Stay up-to-date on the latest off-season headlines, rumors, trades, and more.
Additionally, the unresolved issues extend to determining the amount owed by MASN to the Nationals for the subsequent five-year period, spanning from 2017 to 2021, and addressing the overarching agreement.
The lack of clarity and delayed payments have severely impacted the Nationals. Recently, many speculate that these complications could be a significant obstacle in the Lerner family's potential sale of the Nationals.
The sale of the Orioles might bring resolution to the longstanding MASN/Nationals saga, providing the Nationals with the overdue compensation and assets they rightfully deserve. Stay tuned for further developments.
The Nats Report is a reader-supported independent project. We offer free and paid subscriptions and are not affiliated with the Washington Nationals.
Those who opt for the paid edition are providing vital assistance to bolster our independent coverage of the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball.
